August in a nutshell

We went on a two week vacation and it has taken at least a week to recover. We left on August 3rd and went to California via Utah and Nevada. We were in Cali from the 5th through the 14th, then we headed home. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to take too many photos. I will borrow some from Christian's family to post later. I can't give a detailed account...but here are some highlights of our trip:

For Silas, the trip was a bugcation. He found the strangest, largest bugs everytime we stopped the car (which with a nursing baby and a potty training 2 year old was OFTEN). He found a caterpillar of a hummingbird moth. He even got to look for grasshoppers in 110 degrees in the Mojave dessert.

We stayed in the San Bernardino Mts near a town called Lake Arrowhead, off a road called Rim of the World Highway. We were basically on a cliff about a mile (seriously) up above LA. We were able to sit on the edge and look over the LA area lights one evening. Amazing. 

The wedding of Christian's cousin was also pretty spectacular. The rehearsal dinner was on the viewing lawn of a restaurant overlooking Dana Point Harbor. As we toasted the couple, a huge harvest moon rose over the bay. David, the cousin, married one of the most striking brides I have ever seen (photos to follow). Priya called her the princess and kept looking for her from our hotel balcony.

We loved the Santa Barbara and Morro Bay areas. Beautiful beaches and cool towns. We found all the cool playgrounds in Santa Barbara, one like a castle, and one with whales you could climb. We had some tasty playground treats: corn on the cob on a stick with mayo, cheese, chili, salt and butter...and a mango on a stick made to look like a flower with lemon juice and salt (I skipped the chili). Silas met a girl who knew how to catch turtles in the pond.

We camped out in San Simeon for a few days, near Hearst Castle. Silas and Priya played at the campsite with Kaya and Kayo a girl and boy from LA who had a Japanese mother and a Dutch father. We showed them how to make s'mores. Silas wants to go back and see them someday. 

Priya's brightest moment, "Look, mama, I see somepin on that rock. It's, it's a....bear. Uh, it's kinda like a fish." Of course, she had seen her first seal. We also found a starfish and some sea urchins in the waves. 

We drove back through hot, smoky central California and stopped at James Dean's last stop to buy some chili lime almonds, before driving all day and getting a flat tire in the middle of the sweltering dessert and arrived in Las Vegas, where we saw two of Christian's uncles. 

Since we've been back, I've had the "home-grown-tomatoes" song stuck in my head because our greenhouse is producing the sweetest, reddest ones you've ever seen. I scrapped most of the skin off my right leg when I tripped while running. My children are suffering the effects of too much local sweet corn and peaches. I have washed 1500 loads of laundry. I've had company over for a meal at least five times. We went to a good-bye party for our friends Jordan and Charity, who took their beautiful little red head baby and moved to Utah. We went to a Green Party (the whole town came and everyone wore green) for our good friend Lucky, from Ireland, who f-i-n-a-l-y got his greencard, after marrying our other dear friend two years ago.  I've been weaving up a storm for an Art show coming up next month and Christian has been sawing up logs into siding for a guy in town. Deep breath in....exhale. 

still humming....."home grown tomatoes, home grown tomatoes, only two things money can't buy, and that's true love and home grown tomatoes....."